8 Blisteringly Fast Used Cars For Under £30,000

After the Mustang’s sub-£30k price was revealed, we felt compelled to find out if there was a faster new car for the cash. The answer was no, but many of you made the valid argument that if you’ve got that much cash to blow on a car, you could be better off diving into the classifieds and bagging yourself a used performance bargain.

With that in mind, we went out to see just what you could get on the used market. There’s everything from JDM heroes to classic British GT cruisers and everything in between, but they all share one thing in common: They’re yours for a snip under £30,000.

1. Aston Martin DB9

We’ve just been blasting around Wales in the simply gorgeous Aston Martin V12 Vantage S, which has us in the mood for tearing up tarmac in one of Britain’s classiest road weapons.

Enter stage left, the DB9. Arguably one of the prettiest Astons ever made, mid-2000 examples of this instant classic are just beginning to dip below our £30k threshold. A bit of bartering could see you living out your James Bond fantasies courtesy of Gaydon’s finest hand-made 5.9-litre 450bhp V12 engine.

2. Nissan Skyline GT-R R34

There are few cars more iconic in the JDM scene than the Nissan Skyline GT-R, with the R34 generation perhaps the most popular of all. Under that bulging bodywork sits a 276bhp 2.6-litre twin-turbo inline-six - better known as RB26DETT.

The R34 is the vehicular epitome of Japan’s forward-thinking commitment to technology, with its all-wheel drive system contributing to the ballistic five-second 0-60mph time, and the digital display in the centre console displaying data about your car’s health added an awesome level of interactivity previously unseen in this type of car.

3. Audi RS4

The Audi RS4, particularly in wagon form, is possibly the ultimate all-round car. Performance, style and practicality in one ridiculously capable package.

We fell in love with the current generation RS4 last year, but that all-weather grip has been Audi’s signature since the original Quattro. If you want a slice of that Audi all-wheel drive awesomeness you could do a lot worse than a B7 RS4. The 4.2-litre V8 gives a supercar-esque 414bhp punch while you’re sat in the kind of sumptuous interior we’ve come to expect from Audi.

4. BMW E92 M3

The biggest rival to the RS4 is the BMW M3, and the E92 coupe is buyable within our budget. It might not have the benefit of AWD, but it’s still one of the most capable hooligans on the road. Cruise in comfort when you want to relax, then pull big smokey drifts when the mood takes you.

The E92 model gets its power from a 414bhp 4.0-litre V8; unless you’re a stubborn purist, go for the trick double clutch transmission - shifts take a fraction of a second.

There are plenty of different variations of Caterham 7, and every single one is brilliant in its own way. A couple of years ago we drove the Supersport, and fell in love with its pared-back attitude to going quickly.

Sure, it’ll make you ache and on most models the performance figures don’t sound like much, but with so little between you, the oily bits and the road, you’ll have way more fun than you would in cars twice as powerful - for a fraction of the price.

6. Chevrolet C6 Corvette

Over here on the tiny islands of the United Kingdom, we don’t get much in the way of muscle cars - their big and brash nature is better suited to the wide highways of America than our winding country lanes. If you look hard enough, though, imports crop up from time to time.

We found this immaculate C6 Corvette for a very reasonable £25,995 with just 5300 miles on the clock. If you don’t mind using a left-hand drive car over here, you can bag yourself an incredibly rare motor with an iconic slice of 6.0-litre V8 Americana.

7. Lotus Exige

Moving on from the C6, we go to the complete opposite end of the how-to-go-fast bible with this: the Series 2 Lotus Exige. Channeling the famous ‘simplify, then add lightness’ mantra, this little Lotus packs a relatively tiny 1.8-litre Toyota-supplied engine making 190bhp as standard or 220bhp in S guise.

Despite its modest output, the super-lightweight construction means it’s good for a 0-62mph time of just 4.7 seconds (the S takes 4.1sec), and has become a track favourite thanks to its incredible levels of grip.

8. Mitsubishi Evolution IX

We’ve already seen how Europe does AWD performance, now it’s over to Japan. While the RS4 is all about understatement, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution range couldn’t be further from that ideal: Big wings, lairy bodykits and a hell of a lot of noise.

Honed on the world rally scene, the Evo has become a huge part of automotive culture and a favourite of tuners the world over thanks to its indestructible engine. If you can find an unmolested version these days, you’re very lucky indeed.